Quick Links
Quick Links
UPSC Exams
Latest Update
Coaching
UPSC Current Affairs
Syllabus
UPSC Notes
Previous Year Papers
UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers Last 25 Years UPSC Prelims Question Papers Last 10 Years UPSC Question Papers UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Question Paper UPSC Mains 2024 Model Answers UPSC 2024 Question Papers UPSC 2023 Question Papers UPSC 2022 Question Papers UPSC 2021 Question Papers UPSC 2020 Question Papers UPSC 2019 Question Papers UPSC 2018 Question Papers UPSC 2017 Question Papers UPSC 2016 Question Papers UPSC 2015 Question Papers UPSC 2014 Question Papers UPSC CSAT Question Papers UPSC IFS Previous Year Paper UPSC Assistant Labour Commissioner Previous Question Year Papers UPSC Combined Geo Scientist Previous Year Paper UPSC APFC Previous Year Question Papers UPSC CMS Previous Year Question Paper UPSC EPFO Previous Year Paper UPSC Air Safety Officer Previous Year Papers UPSC SO Steno Previous Year Paper UPSC IES ISS Previous Year Question Papers
Mock Tests
UPSC Editorial
Bilateral Ties
Albania India Relations India Algeria Relations Andorra India Relations India Angola Relations India Antigua Barbuda Relations India Argentina Relations Austria India Relations India Azerbaijan Relations Bahamas India Relations India Bahrain Relations Barbados India Relations India Belarus Relations Belgium India Relations Belize India Relations Benin India Relations Bolivia India Relations India Bosnia Herzegovina Relations India Botswana Relations Brazil India Relations Brunei India Relations Bulgaria India Relations Burundi India Relations Cabo Verde India Relations India Cambodia Relations India Cameroon Relations Canada India Relations India Cayman Islands Relations India Central African Republic Relations India Chad Relations Chile India Relations India Colombia Relations India Comoros Relations India Democratic Republic Of The Congo Relations India Republic Of The Congo Relations India Cook Islands Relations India Costa Rica Relations India Ivory Coast Relations India Croatia Relations India Cyprus Relations India Czech Republic Relations India Djibouti Relations India Dominica Relations India Dominican Republic Relations India Ecuador Relations India El Salvador Relations India Equatorial Guinea Relations India Eritrea Relations Estonia India Relations India Ethiopia Relations India Fiji Relations India Finland Relations India Gabon Relations India Gambia Relations India Georgia Relations Germany India Relations India Ghana Relations India Greece Relations India Grenada Relations India Guatemala Relations India Guinea Relations India Guinea Bissau Relations India Guyana Relations India Haiti Relations India Holy See Relations India Honduras Relations India Hong Kong Relations India Hungary Relations India Iceland Relations India Indonesia Relations India Iran Relations India Iraq Relations India Ireland Relations India Jamaica Relations India Kazakhstan Relations India Kenya Relations India Kingdom Of Eswatini Relations India Kiribati Relations India Kuwait Relations India Kyrgyzstan Relations India Laos Relations Latvia India Relations India Lebanon Relations India Lesotho Relations India Liberia Relations Libya India Relations Liechtenstein India Relations India Lithuania Relations India Luxembourg Relations India Macao Relations Madagascar India Relations India Malawi Relations India Mali Relations India Malta Relations India Marshall Islands Relations India Mauritania Relations India Micronesia Relations India Moldova Relations Monaco India Relations India Montenegro Relations India Montserrat Relations India Morocco Relations Mozambique India Relations India Namibia Relations India Nauru Relations Netherlands India Relations India Nicaragua Relations India Niger Relations India Nigeria Relations India Niue Relations India North Macedonia Relations Norway India Relations India Palau Relations India Panama Relations India Papua New Guinea Relations India Paraguay Relations Peru India Relations India Philippines Relations Qatar India Relations India Romania Relations Rwanda India Relations India Saint Kitts And Nevis Relations India Saint Lucia Relations India Saint Vincent And Grenadines Relations India Samoa Relations India Sao Tome And Principe Relations Saudi Arabia India Relations India Senegal Relations Serbia India Relations India Sierra Leone Relations India Singapore Relations India Slovak Republic Relations India Slovenia Relations India Solomon Islands Relations Somalia India Relations India South Sudan Relations India Spain Relations India Sudan Relations Suriname India Relations India Sweden Relations India Syria Relations India Tajikistan Relations Tanzania India Relations India Togo Relations India Tonga Islands Relations India Trinidad And Tobago Relations India Tunisia Relations India Turkmenistan Relations India Turks And Caicos Islands Relations India Tuvalu Relations India Uganda Relations India Ukraine Relations India Uae Relations India Uruguay Relations India Uzbekistan Relations India Vanuatu Relations India Venezuela Relations India British Virgin Islands Relations Yemen India Relations India Zambia Relations India Zimbabwe Relations
Books
Government Schemes
Production Linked Incentive Scheme Integrated Processing Development Scheme Rodtep Scheme Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme Saathi Scheme Uday Scheme Hriday Scheme Samagra Shiksha Scheme India Nishta Scheme Stand Up India Scheme Sahakar Mitra Scheme Mdms Mid Day Meal Scheme Integrated Child Protection Scheme Vatsalya Scheme Operation Green Scheme Nai Roshni Scheme Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme Kalia Scheme Ayushman Sahakar Scheme Nirvik Scheme Fame India Scheme Kusum Scheme Pm Svanidhi Scheme Pmvvy Scheme Pm Aasha Scheme Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme Pradhan Mantri Lpg Panjayat Scheme Mplads Scheme Svamitva Scheme Pat Scheme Udan Scheme Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat Scheme National Pension Scheme Ujala Scheme Operation Greens Scheme Gold Monetisation Scheme Family Planning Insurance Scheme Target Olympic Podium Scheme
Topics
NASA Space Missions
NASA Mercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Redstone 4 (Liberty Bell 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 6 (Friendship 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 7 (Aurora 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) Mission NASA Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7) Mission NASA Gemini 3 Mission NASA Gemini 4 Mission NASA Gemini 5 Mission NASA Gemini 7 Mission NASA Gemini 8 Mission NASA Gemini 9 Mission NASA Gemini 10 Mission NASA Gemini 11 Mission NASA Gemini 12 Mission NASA Apollo 1 (AS‑204) Mission NASA Apollo 7 Mission NASA Apollo 8 Mission NASA Apollo 9 Mission NASA Apollo 10 Mission NASA Apollo 11 Mission NASA Apollo 12 Mission NASA Apollo 13 Mission NASA Apollo 14 Mission NASA Apollo 15 Mission NASA Apollo 16 Mission NASA Apollo 17 Mission NASA Skylab Orbital Workshop Mission NASA Skylab 2 Mission NASA Skylab 3 Mission NASA Skylab 4 Mission NASA Apollo–Soyuz Test Project Mission NASA STS‑1 Columbia Mission NASA STS‑3 Columbia Mission NASA STS‑7 Challenger Mission NASA STS‑8 Challenger Mission NASA STS‑41B Challenger Mission NASA STS‑41G Discovery (1st female EVA) Mission NASA STS‑51L Challenger (accident) Mission NASA STS‑26 Discovery (Return‑to‑Flight) Mission NASA STS‑31 Discovery (Hubble Launch) Mission NASA STS‑49 Endeavour (first capture EVA) Mission NASA STS‑61 Endeavour (Hubble Servicing 1) Mission NASA STS‑73 Columbia (microgravity) Mission NASA STS‑95 Discovery (John Glenn returns) Mission NASA STS‑107 Columbia (accident) Mission NASA STS‑114 Discovery (RTF‑2) Mission NASA STS‑120 Discovery (Node 2) Mission NASA STS‑125 Atlantis (Final Hubble Service) Mission NASA STS‑132 Atlantis Mission NASA STS‑135 Atlantis (Final Shuttle flight) Mission NASA Artemis I (Orion/ SLS‑1) Mission NASA Artemis II (Planned) Mission NASA Artemis III (Planned lunar landing) Mission NASA Mariner 4 Mission NASA Mariner 6 Mission NASA Mariner 7 Mission NASA Mariner 9 Mission NASA Viking 1 Orbiter/Lander Mission NASA Viking 2 Orbiter/Lander Mission NASA Mars Pathfinder & Sojourner Mission NASA Mars Global Surveyor Mission NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey Mission NASA Mars Exploration Rover – Spirit Mission NASA Mars Exploration Rover – Opportunity Mission NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Mission NASA InSight Mars Lander Mission NASA Mars 2020 (Perseverance & Ingenuity) Mission NASA Mars Sample Return – SRL (planned) Mission NASA Pioneer 10 Mission NASA Pioneer 11 Mission NASA Voyager 1 Mission NASA Voyager 2 Mission NASA Galileo Jupiter Orbiter/Probe Mission NASA Cassini–Huygens Mission NASA New Horizons (Pluto & KBO) Mission NASA Juno Mission NASA Europa Clipper (planned) Mission NASA Parker Solar Probe Mission NASA Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA Surveyor 1 Mission NASA Lunar Orbiter 1 Mission NASA Lunar Prospector Mission NASA LCROSS Mission NASA LADEE Mission NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission NASA CAPSTONE Mission NASA VIPER Rover (planned) Mission NASA NEAR Shoemaker Mission NASA Deep Space 1 Mission NASA Stardust Mission NASA Genesis Mission NASA Deep Impact Mission NASA Dawn (Vesta/Ceres) Mission NASA OSIRIS‑REx Mission NASA Lucy Mission NASA DART Mission NASA Landsat‑1 (ERTS‑1) Mission NASA Landsat‑5 Mission NASA Landsat‑9 Mission NASA Terra Mission NASA Aqua Mission NASA Aura Mission NASA Suomi NPP Mission NASA Sentinel‑6 Michael Freilich Mission NASA ICESat‑2 Mission NASA GRACE‑FO Mission NASA SMAP Mission NASA GPM Core Observatory Mission NASA CALIPSO Mission NASA CloudSat Mission NASA NISAR (NASA‑ISRO) Mission NASA Explorer 1 Mission NASA COBE Mission NASA Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Mission NASA Hubble Space Telescope Mission NASA Chandra X‑ray Observatory Mission NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Mission NASA WISE Mission NASA Kepler Mission NASA TESS Mission NASA Fermi Gamma‑ray Space Telescope Mission NASA NICER Mission NASA IXPE Mission NASA Roman Space Telescope (planned) Mission NASA NuSTAR Mission NASA GALEX Mission NASA Swift Mission NASA SOHO (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA Cluster II (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA TIMED Mission NASA STEREO‑A/B Mission NASA MMS Mission NASA IRIS Mission NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory Mission NASA X‑37B OTV‑1 (USAF/NASA liaison) Mission NASA X‑59 QueSST Mission NASA Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Mission NASA Valkyrie R5 Robot Mission NASA Low‑Boom Flight Demo Mission NASA CRS‑1 Dragon Mission NASA CRS‑1 Cygnus Mission NASA Crew Dragon Demo‑2 Mission NASA Starliner OFT‑2 Mission NASA STS-2 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-4 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-5 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-6 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-41C (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-41D (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-51A (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-61C (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-26 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-27 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-29 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-30 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-32 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-34 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-38 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-45 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-60 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-70 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-71 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-73 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-88 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-92 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-97 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-99 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-100 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-104 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-106 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-110 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-112 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-115 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-116 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-117 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-118 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-120 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-122 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-123 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-126 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA STS-130 (Shuttle flight) Mission NASA Vanguard 1 Mission NASA Transit 1B Mission NASA Echo 1 Mission NASA Telstar 1 Mission NASA Syncom 3 Mission NASA ATS‑6 Mission NASA Skynet Mission NASA Nimbus‑1 Mission NASA Nimbus‑7 Mission NASA ERS-1 Mission NASA SeaSat Mission NASA QuikSCAT Mission NASA Jason‑1 Mission NASA Jason‑3 Mission NASA ICESat Mission NASA Earth Observing‑1 Mission NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory‑2 Mission NASA CYGNSS Mission NASA PACE Mission NASA TRMM Mission NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (cxl) Mission NASA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Mission NASA Explorer 33 Mission NASA Voyager Interstellar Mission Mission NASA Helios‑A Mission NASA Helios‑B Mission NASA ISEE‑3 (ICE) Mission NASA ACE Mission NASA DSCOVR Mission NASA IBEX Mission NASA Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager Mission NASA SAGE‑III ISS Mission NASA SPACE Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Mission NASA ARIEL (ESA/NASA) Mission NASA OSAM‑1 (Restore‑L) Mission NASA Dragonfly (Titan rotorcraft) Mission NASA VERITAS (Venus orbiter) Mission NASA DAVINCI (Venus probe) Mission NASA SPHEREx Mission NASA MAGGIE (Mars Geophysical) Mission NASA CLPS – Peregrine Mission NASA CLPS – VIPER Delivery Mission NASA CAPSTONE Mission NASA Gateway (HALO / PPE) Mission NASA Mars Telecommunication Orbiter (cxl) Mission NASA Mars Polar Lander (MPL) Mission NASA Mars Climate Orbiter Mission NASA Pathfinder Mission Mission NASA SLS Block 1B (Exploration Upper Stage) Mission NASA Orion Crew Module Mission NASA Commercial LEO Destinations – Axiom Station Mission NASA ISS Expedition 1 Mission NASA ISS Expedition 70 Mission NASA CRS‑11 (Dragon) Mission NASA CRS‑21 (Dragon 2) Mission NASA Snoopy CubeSat Mission
Home / IAS Preparation / League Of Nations

League of Nations - Aim, Formation, Members & Structure for UPSC

Last Updated on Dec 08, 2024
Also Read League Of Nations in Hindi
Download As PDF
IMPORTANT LINKS
Agriculture Notes For UPSC Public Administration UPSC Notes Modern History Books For UPSC Overseas Citizen Of India Caste System & Panchayati Raj Godavari River Federalism Indira Point New Development Bank Battle Of Sinhagad Sankalp And Strive Schemes Digital India High Yielding Varieties Economic Growth Development League Of Nations Ease Of Doing Business Mid Day Meal Scheme Wildlife Protection Act 1972 UPSC Notes International Union Conservation Nature

e League of Nations was an intergovernmental organisation whose goal was to foster international collaboration as well as international peace and security. The formation of the League of Nations signalled the beginning of a new era in international relations, with governments from all over the world gathering at one table to find peaceful solutions to political difficulties and disagreements.

The League of Nations is significant for both the UPSC Prelims and GS Paper 2 of the UPSC Mains syllabus. In this article, we will provide you with all features and necessary information on the League of Nations. Study major topics of International Relations from the perspective of UPSC Exams.

What was the League of Nations?

The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded in 1920 as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended World War I. It was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace.

Formation of League of Nations

  • The League of Nations was formed after the end of World War I in 1919.
  • League of nations was formed to prevent another war. It tried to settle disputes through negotiations, ensure disarmament or reduce the manufacturing of arms.
  • The main idea was to maintain world peace and avoid future wars. This is achieved through international cooperation and collective security.
  • U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proposed the formation of the League in his Fourteen Points peace plan in 1918.
  • The League was set up as part of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. It was signed by the Allied powers and Germany in 1919.
  • The League's first session was held in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1920.
  • However, some major countries did not join the League. This included the United States, which did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles. The Soviet Union was excluded due to its communist policies.
  • The League consisted of an Assembly comprising:
    • representatives of member countries, 
    • an Executive Council comprising the major powers, and 
    • a permanent secretariat.

Aims of the League of Nations

  • To ensure disarmament, war prevention through collective security.
  • It also focuses on international conflict resolution through conversation and diplomacy, and global well-being.

Know more about the Developing 8 Countries!

FREEMentorship Program by
Ravi Kapoor, Ex-IRS
UPSC Exam-Hacker, Author, Super Mentor, MA
100+ Success Stories
Key Highlights
Achieve your Goal with our mentorship program, offering regular guidance and effective exam strategies.
Cultivate a focused mindset for exam success through our mentorship program.
2 Lakh+ Students Mentored Get
Get Free Mentorship Now
UPSC Beginners Program

Get UPSC Beginners Program SuperCoaching @ just

₹50000

Claim for free
Want to know more about this pass ?
Explore SuperCoaching

Structure of the League of Nations

The League of Nations had three main organs:

  • Secretariat - It handled administrative work for the League. This included setting agendas, publishing reports, and acting as civil service.
  • Council - It dealt with issues threatening world peace. It had 4 permanent members and 4 non-permanent members.
  • Assembly - It had representatives from all member states, and each had one vote. It convenes once a year.

The League also had other agencies and commissions to address specific issues:

  • Disarmament Commission - To restrict the growth of warships in some states
  • Health Committee - To tackle diseases like leprosy, malaria, and yellow fever.
  • Mandates Commission - It oversaw League mandates and held plebiscites for disputed areas.
  • Permanent Central Opium Board - To regulate legal international traffic in drugs.
  • Refugee Commission - Established refugee camps to help refugees.
  • Slavery Commission - Worked to end slavery and the slave trade.

Members of the League of Nations
  • The League of Nations was established in 1920 by 42 nations. The League had 58 member countries at its peak in 1934 and 1935.
  • The League of Nations member countries encompassed the majority of Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America. At the time of the League of Nations, practically all of Africa was made up of Western-power colonies.
  • The United States never joined the League of Nations.

Know more about the BASIC Countries!

Problems faced by the League of Nations

Weak Covenant of League

The League’s Covenant was a weak covenant since it lacked decisive powers owing to unanimous voting and lacked its own armed force. Article 16 of the Covenant asks for collective security by deploying forces from all countries. However, this has not been implemented. The future governments did not adopt Britain’s Geneva Protocol, leaving the League without power.

A Strong Connection to the Treaty of Versailles

The League seemed to be an organization formed to reward winning powers. It happened to protect a far-from-ideal peace settlement—the Italians’ territorial gains and the inclusion of Germans in Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Rejected by the United States

The United States' isolationist stance, known as the Munroe doctrine (1823), had a disastrous influence on international events by refusing to join the League of Nations and ratify the Treaty of Versailles.

A Few Major Powers were not Interested

Germany was not permitted to join until 1926, and the USSR joined only after Germany departed in 1934. As a result, the League was initially devoid of big powers.

It was either a British or a French Affair

The United States and the Soviet Union were not members of the League. Italy, too, was hostile, with just the United Kingdom and France remaining as strongholds. However, Britain’s non-participation and ratification of the Locarno Treaties (1925) outside the League rendered it a weak organization after 1930.

Disputes Resolved by League of Nations
  • Several minor conflicts were avoided because of the League of Nations. The League mediated territorial agreements between Sweden and Finland, Poland and Lithuania, and Greece and Bulgaria.
  • The League of Nations also effectively governed Germany’s and the Ottoman Empire’s former colonies, including Syria, Nauru, and Togoland, until they were ready for independence.
  • The ruling in the dispute between Finland and Sweden over the land Islands favored Finland (1920).
  • The League concluded that the major industrial area of Upper Silesia should be partitioned (split) between Germany and Poland due to competing claims (1921).
  • When the Greeks invaded Bulgaria, and there were some gun incidents on the border, the League stepped in quickly. Greek forces were evacuated, and Bulgaria was compensated.
  • When Turkey claimed the province of Mosul, which was part of Iraq’s British-mandated territory, the League ruled in favor of Iraq.
  • In South America, squabbles were handled between Peru and Colombia, as well as between Bolivia and Paraguay.

Know more about the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)!

The success of the League of Nations

International Conflicts

  • The League has had some success in this area of international conflicts. The League of Nations attempted to interfere in various conflicts between and within states, in addition to territorial issues.
  • When Greece conquered Bulgaria, it had Greece pay reparations to the latter. But none of these conflicts posed a danger to international peace.
  • In 1921, it also settled a dispute between Germany and Poland over Upper Silesia.
  • Vilna, which had been captured by Russia in 1920, was restored to Poland with the engagement of the League of Nations.

Health

  • It performed a decent job identifying the origins of various epidemics. Specifically, it was effective in stopping the spread of the Russian Typhus Epidemic to the rest of Europe.
  • The Mandates Commission was tasked with overseeing the administration of regions assigned to member countries as Mandates.

The Mandate of Agreements

  • The League of Nations was in charge of overseeing the government of regions assigned to member nations as Mandates.
  • On several occasions, the League of Nations successfully handled conflicts involving smaller states, such as the disagreement between Finland and Sweden over Aaland Island in 1920, a boundary dispute between Albania and Greece, disputes between Hungary and Romania, and so on.
  • A separate commission was established to oversee the government in SAAR, and it was quite effective in holding a vote there in 1935. SAAR was restored to Germany following the referendum.

International Labor Organization(ILO)

  • The most effective was the International Labor Organization.
  • The ILO’s objectives include establishing maximum working hours and minimum pay, as well as making sure that its member countries offer old age and unemployment benefits.

Refugee

  • It assisted Prisoners Of War in Russia in finding homes outside of the country.
  • It aided Jews who were escaping Nazi persecution in 1933 to settle in other nations where they would be safe.

Know more about the Commonwealth of Nations!

Failure of the League of Nations
  • The League of Nations failed to interfere in various wars leading up to World War II, notably the Italian invasion of Abyssinia, the Spanish Civil War, and the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • Representation at the League was frequently an issue. Though it was meant to include all nations, many did not join, or their term in the League was limited.
  • The League’s main shortcoming was that the United States never joined, removing much of the League’s potential might.
  • The League was weakened further when some of the major nations withdrew in the 1930s.
  • Japan was a permanent member of the Council until 1933, when the League objected to its invasion of the Chinese region of Manchuria.
  • Italy joined the Council as a permanent member but left in 1937. The League admitted Germany as a member in 1926, calling it a “peace-loving country,” but when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, he expelled Germany.
  • The League’s neutrality often manifested as hesitation. It was likewise tardy in making choices.
  • Some decisions also needed the Assembly’s unanimous concurrence, that is, agreement from every League member.
  • Another major problem of the League was that it sought to represent all nations, but most members put their own national interests ahead of the League and its principles.
  • League responsibilities posed a risk that states would be pulled into international disputes that did not directly touch their own national interests.
  • This failure was the result of a variety of causes, many of which were connected to fundamental flaws within the organization, such as a voting procedure that made ratifying resolutions difficult and insufficient representation among world powers.

When did the League of Nations come to an End?

The League of Nations came to an end during World War II as it failed to achieve its goal of preventing future wars:

  • With the outbreak of World War II, the League was unable to function. The Assembly and Council could not meet during the war.
  • The League failed to stop major events that triggered World War II. This included Japan's invasion of China and the Spanish Civil War.
  • The lack of support from the US, a major power, weakened the League.
  • After failing to prevent World War II, the Yalta Conference in 1945 agreed to establish a new organization - the United Nations - to take over the League's role.
  • Many League bodies like the International Labour Organization continued their work under the UN.
  • The League formally disbanded itself during an Assembly meeting in 1946. It handed over its mandates, property, and responsibilities to the UN.

Know more about the United Nations peacekeeping!

Conclusion

When the League of Nations ceased to exist legally in 1946, all of its assets and materials were given to the United Nations, including its buildings and grounds, library, and, most importantly, archives and historical collections. On the battlefields of the First World War, the League of Nations was gladly born. The League’s members did not, however, work together. As a consequence, the League’s purpose was unsuccessful, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Second World War. The legacy of the League of Nations may still be found today: UN workers in Geneva continue to work inside the ancient Palais des Nations, which houses the League of Nations records. Recognizing the importance of the League of Nations records, all files are now being digitized to provide complete access to the history of multilateralism.

Testbook provides a set of comprehensive notes for different competitive exams. Testbook is always on the top of the list because of its best quality assured products like live tests, mocks, Content pages, GK and current affairs videos, and much more. To study more topics from Environment India for UPSC, download the Testbook App now!

More Articles for IAS Preparation

League of Nations - FAQs

The League of Nations was an international organization that was established during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference.

Following the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, an international institution called the League of Nations was established.

At the close of World War I, the victorious Allied forces spearheaded the creation of the League of Nations, which was formally abolished on April 19, 1946.

The League of Nations, which maintains international peace, was the primary driving force behind President Woodrow Wilson of the United States winning the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize.

The League of Nations set out to disarm, avoid war by collective security, resolve international conflicts through negotiations and diplomacy, and advance human happiness.

The League of Nation's failures in the 1930s were due to its own members as well as aggressive states eroding its power.

In reaction to the Soviet invasion of Finland, the League of Nations, an international institution established after World War I to maintain peace, expelled the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on December 14, 1939.

The United States never joined the League of Nations despite developing the idea and signing the Covenant.

The League of Nations ceased to exist on April 20, 1946 and gave all of its assets to the United Nations.

President Woodrow Wilson initiated the formation of League of Nations.
Report An Error
Exams Tests Super Practice